Pages

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Recipe: Oven Parsnip 'Fries' with Roasted Garlic + Fresh Parsley

If I were even
marginally good at lying, I would begin this post with the sincerest of
condolences for my absence, in conjunction with this parsnip recipe as a peace
offering.

But alas, I can’t lie
for shit. The sole purpose of this post is so that I would have an excuse to
make this recipe for the second time this week. Not that a person should need justification for eating 3 pounds
of parsnips in 3 days, but hey. Just trying to have my bases covered over here.

If you have Celiac or
are following a gluten free diet, you’ve probably thanked the high heavens that
you can still eat potatoes. And while the carby spuds are sure to stave off many
a gluten-craving, they can get a little old. Parsnips, a fellow root vegetable,
are a refreshing, starchy swap – and dare I say upgrade? Slathered in buttery
roasted garlic and roasted until charred, you’ll be looking for another reason
to make these as soon as the first batch is gone. And I’ll be happy to provide
excuses.

PS. Looking for other
ways to incorporate parsnips into your diet? This Apple Parsnip Soup should to
the trick.

Preheat oven to 425
degrees. Cut the entire head of garlic in half lengthwise, so all of the cloves
are exposed. Place on a sheet of foil, coat with olive oil, and gather up all
of the foil so the package is sealed. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and
open foil so garlic can cool. Once cool to the touch, squeeze each garlic half
until all the softened cloves slide out. Mash with a fork until a chunky paste
is formed.

Place the parsnip fries
in a large bowl. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, and season with salt and
pepper. Add ½ to ¾ of roasted garlic paste. Use your hands to evenly coat the
fries. Resist urge to lick your hands.

Spread parsnips in an
even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes
until bottoms start to brown and crisp. Flip each fry (be patient/gentle - they may stick a little) and bake for another
10-15 minutes.

I did try parsnips mashed at Thanksgiving one year and haven't been back since. However, coated in roasted garlic and oven fried sounds way too good to pass up! (And it is a great way to add yet another healthy food into my quite limited diet!)